Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Jesse's GirlBy: Miranda KenneallyRelease Date: July 1, 2015

"Practice Makes Perfect. Everyone
at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when
Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d
get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol. But
spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as
gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a
reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their
band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that
Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks
Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it
takes to follow her heart—and go solo?" (Summary from goodreads.com)

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Lying Out LoudBy: Kody KeplingerRelease Date: April 28, 2015

"Kody Keplinger returns to the world of The DUFF in this brand-new companion novel! Sonny
Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison.
She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into
her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go. Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross. Ryder's
the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand
-- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder
emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not
to be missed. But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to
Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might
actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been
talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder
realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie
her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both
Ryder and Amy?" (Summary from goodreads.com)

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

A Court of Thrones and RosesBy: Sarah J. Maas Release Date: May 5, 2015"When
nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like
creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous
magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that
her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal
faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate,
her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery
passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about
the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow
grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . .
or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever." (Summary from goodreads.com)

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

I Was HereBy: Gayle FormanReleased: January 27, 2015Source: PurchasedPurchase the Book: Amazon"Cody and Meg were inseparable. Two peas in a pod. Until . . . they weren’t anymore. When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner
alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated.
She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody
travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind,
she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old
roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end
small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar
and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file
that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody
thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into
question. I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a
taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the
meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of
unspeakable loss." (Summary from goodreads.com)

I really enjoyed I Was Here. It is a really powerful story that I still can't stop thinking about days later.

I Was Here is the story of Cody who is dealing with the aftermath of her best friends suicide. Cody and Meg grew up together and were inseparable. After Meg's death, Cody questions how she didn't see the signs and learns that there was a lot that Meg was keeping from her.

Cody was developed well through the course of the book. As she tries to make sense of Meg's sudden death, she throws herself into trying to figure out all of the secrets that Meg kept from her. I liked Cody because she was complex and realistic. You really see her going through different stages of grief. The side characters were also really great too.

The plot was intriguing because there was this mystery element to the story when it came to Meg. I'm a big fan of Gayle Forman's previous books because I find her writing to be stunning and she definitely brought that again to this book. I found myself writing down a lot of quotes. I also found myself learning a lot from this book too. The links in the Author's Note led me to doing some more research on a topic I knew very little about prior to reading this book. Overall I really enjoyed I Was Here. I definitely recommend picking this book up because it will make you think and you won't stop even after you finish it. My Rating:

Monday, February 9, 2015

I'll Meet You ThereBy: Heather DemetriosReleased: February 3, 2015Source: PurchasedPurchase the Book: Amazon"If seventeen-year-old
Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a
double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco
Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge
Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar
can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and
everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people
she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the
line. Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out
of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in
Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be.
What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a
quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their
differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship
and soon, something deeper." (Summary from goodreads.com)

I have been hearing so much about I'll Meet You There for months so I had to buy it the day it came out and wow it was stunning. This was the type of book that I just couldn't put down and I kept found myself trying to sneak in time to read throughout my day.

I'll Meet You There is the story of Skylar who has just graduated high school and can't wait until she is out of her small town. She is so close to getting out and attending college in San Francisco, but then her mom loses her job. Skylar is torn between staying or going. Then there is Josh who has returned home from Afghanistan after losing his leg. Josh is now back to working at the Paradise motel again with Skylar.

Skylar and Josh are both very well developed and complex characters. They make mistakes and are far from perfect. They are just real and for that I loved them. Josh is struggling with the aftermath of what happened while overseas. While Skylar is dealing with a lot when it comes to her mom. I really loved the whole storyline of Skylar's conflict with whether or not she should stay or leave. I also thought that the friendship that develops between Josh and Skylar really came across as natural and realistic. Then the side characters were just as great as Skylar and Josh. I loved Skylar's friends, Chris and Dylan.

As I mentioned earlier, it was so hard to put this book down. I ended up reading it all in one day because I quickly became so invested in these characters. I loved the setting in the small town. Demetrios did a great job with creating that small town feel. Also the plot was paced well and I thought that it gave the characters a chance to really develop in a realistic way. This story made me laugh, tear up, and even made my heart race. Demetrios writing is simply gorgeous. She handled a complex topic like PTSD so well. I especially loved the few chapters in Josh's point of view.

Overall I loved I'll Meet You There. This is such an unforgettable story that I can't recommend enough.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

All the RageBy: Courtney SummersRelease Date: April 14, 2014

"The
sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he
is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe
a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her
everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and
bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with,
Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one
knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous.But when a
girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and
news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy
must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing
more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her
the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her
silence might be more than she can bear. With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage
examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act
of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that
refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?" (Summary from goodreads.com)

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

All Broke Down By: Cora CarmackReleased: October 28, 2014Source: PurchasedPurchase the Book: Amazon"Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one. Environmental
issues, civil rights, corrupt corporations, and politicians you name
it, she's probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause
lands her in jail overnight, she meets Silas Moore. He's in for a
different kind of fighting. And though he's arrogant and infuriating,
she can't help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause. Football
and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas.
And it's trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He's
met girls like her before fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the
damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn't think
he's broken, and he definitely doesn't need a girlfriend trying to
change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten
the only thing he really cares about: his spot on the Rusk University
football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help. Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all." (Summary from goodreads.com)

I really enjoyed All Broke Down. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one in the series, All Lined Up. I couldn't put it down and so I finished it all in one day.

All Broke Down is the story of Silas, who always seems to be getting into some sort of trouble, and Dylan, who fights for what she believes in. After meeting in jail one night, these two can't seem to stay away from each other. Silas even enlists Dylan's help in cleaning up his image and attitude when his position on the football team is in jeopardy.

I loved both Silas and Dylan because these are two complex characters who make mistakes. They both have their flaws. Silas struggles to keep his anger in check and he usually finds himself in tough situations because of it. While Dylan struggles with doing what she wants or doing what will reflect well on her family. Both of these characters grow and develop really well through the story. I also love the way that the relationship develops between them as well. It was realistic and hot. I enjoyed the plot for All Broke Down even more than the plot for All Lined Up. It was great to follow along as both Silas and Dylan learn so much from each other. Carmack once again paced the story really well and wrote that great balance between drama and romance. It was also great to see some characters from All Lined Up show up again in this book and meet some new characters as well.

Overall I really enjoyed All Broke Down and definitely recommend picking it up. It had really great characters that will be difficult to ever forget about. I am now anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

Monday, February 2, 2015

All Lined UpBy: Cora CarmackReleased: May 13, 2014Source: PurchasedPurchase the Book: Amazon"In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both. Dallas
Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole
childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out
of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her
past. But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the
same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a
Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to
college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds
herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again. Carson
McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the
starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football
provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life,
his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated. Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter. And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel." (Summary from goodreads.com)I really enjoyed All Lined Up and it was tough to put this book down for long. This book had great characters, a captivating plot, a realistic romance, and it included some football.

All Lined Up is the story of Dallas who is the football coach's daughter. She hates football after always coming second to it and now she can't even escape it while at college because her dad is the new coach. Then there is Carson, who has just transferred to Rusk this year and is working hard to make his way up to starting quarterback. Dallas has no idea that Carson is on the team after they meet one night and Carson has no clue that she is the coach's daughter.

I really liked both Dallas and Carson. Both of these characters are complex and have really interesting backgrounds. Dallas wants nothing to do with football anymore because of her dad and her ex-boyfriend. However, she can't seem to stay away from Carson. While Carson works really hard for what he wants and is determined to get it. The relationship that builds between these two is realistic and paced well. The chemistry is definitely there from the very beginning and is practically jumping off of the pages. Dallas and Carson grow and develop over the course of the story both individually and together. I also loved the side characters and will be looking forward to getting to know some of them even more in the next books in this series.

The plot hooked me in from the first chapter and I thought that it was paced really well. I kept finding it difficult to put this book down for long. There was a really great balance of romance and drama. I loved the setting too and the way that football was incorporated throughout the story in different ways. I have read one of Cora Carmack's other series and loved it, but I found that I enjoyed the start to this new series even more.

Overall I really enjoyed All Lined Up. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a really great New Adult book series to read. My Rating:

Disclaimer

All reviews published on this blog are based on books that I have either purchased myself or received from an author or publisher in exchange for an honest review. It is noted in the review whether I purchased a book myself or received the book from the publisher or author. I receive no compensation from any of the reviews that I publish. Unless otherwise noted, all photos used on this blog are from Google and are not owned by me.